USC Track & Field Wins 16 Events During Final Day Of Trojan Invitational
LOS ANGELES—USC track and field athletes won 16 events—including a pair of victories by junior Lanae-Tava Thomas in the women's long jump and 100 meters—on the second day of the 2021 outdoor season-opening Trojan Invitational on Saturday (March 20) at USC's Loker Stadium.
Teams from California, Long Beach State, Utah and Washington State competed in the non-scoring meet along with USC.
Thomas won the women's long jump in a personal-best 20-11 ¼ (6.38m) to move into eighth place on the all-time USC career performers list, came back to win the women's 100-meter dash in 11.57.
Following Thomas in second place in the long jump was USC first-year freshman Morgan Smalls, who opened her collegiate outdoor career with a 20-1 ½ (6.13m) mark. Smalls competed in 3 events in the meet, also finishing second in the triple jump (41-3 ¼/12.58m) and sixth in the 200 meters (24.05).
USC athletes won both men's and women's low hurdles races. Freshman Jasmine Jones opened her USC outdoor career with a personal-best 13.01 clocking to win the women's 100-meter hurdles, the eighth best mark on the Trojan career performers list. Then junior Omotade Ojora captured the men's 110-meter hurdles in 13.76.
Trojans also won both men's and women's 200 meters, 400 meters and 400-meter hurdles races.
USC took the first 6 spots in the women's 200 meters, with senior Nicole Yeargin winning in a personal-best 23.23, followed by senior Kyra Constantine in second (23.53), junior Bailey Lear in third (PR of 23.55), senior Anna Cockrell in fourth (23.61), sophomore Jan'Taijah Ford in fifth (23.72) and Smalls in sixth. Trojan junior Eric Allen Jr. won the men's 200 meters in 20.99.
Freshman Rae-Anne Serville won the 400 meters in 53.45 in her USC outdoor debut. Trojan junior Jemima Russell finished fifth (56.30), just ahead of sophomore teammate Chioma Okonkwo (56.31) in sixth, while senior Jennifer Daly was 10th in 59.72. USC finished in the top 4 spots in the men's 400 meters, with senior Isaiah Jewett winning in personal-best 45.96, followed by sophomore Nicholas Ramey in second (46.63), soph Brian Herron in third (46.95) and senior Zach Shinnick in fourth (47.08). Freshman teammate Ashton Allen was seventh (48.95).
In the 400-meter hurdles, junior Breanna Bernard-Joseph captured the women's 400-meter race in a personal-best 59.49, while senior Cameron Samuel won the men's in 51.32.
In the field events, USC won both sides of the triple jump. USC went 1-2 in the men's triple jump, with Virginia-transfer senior Jordan Scott winning in 54-7 ½ (16.65m) to quickly move into fourth on the all-time USC performers list in his Trojan debut. Senior Darryl Shaw was second in 49-6 ½ (15.10m). Freshman Temitope Ojora led a 1-2 USC finish in the women's triple jump with a 42-4 (12.90m) winning mark to move into ninth on the all-time Trojan performers chart. Smalls was second.
USC closed the meet by winning both 4x400-meter relays. The Women of Troy's 'A' team of Kyra Constantine, Alyssa Brewer, Jan'Taijah Ford and Abygail Paez won in 3:41.28. USC's 'B' team (Bailey Lear, Jemima Russell, Anna Cockrell, Jennifer Daly) was just behind in second at 3:41.56. In the men's mile relay, the USC 'B' quartet of Nicholas Ramey, Eric Allen Jr., Ashton Allen and Isaiah Jewett won in 3:09.37, while USC's 'A' squad (Brian Herron, Sam Van Dorpe, Jack Carter, Daniel Robinson) was second in 3:16.63.
Trojan junior Alyssa Brewer won the women's 800 meters in 2:06.53, winning by .29 over Utah's Brooke Manson. USC junior Abygail Paez was eighth in a PR of 2:14.82.
USC went 1-2 in the men's 1500-meter run, with UCLA-transfer senior George Gleason winning in 3:48.04 (10th on Troy's all-time performers list) followed by freshman Josh Ligas in 3:54.13. Trojan freshman Jack Carter placed sixth (3:59.15) and junior Sam Van Dorpe was eighth (4:06.00).
Non-USC winners were:
--Washington State won both 4x100-meter relays. The Cougar women's quartet of Jordyn Tucker, Skyler Walton, Jasneet Nijjar and Elise Unruh-Thomas won in 45.50, followed by the men (Sam Brixey, Ja'Maun Charles, Ethan Willems, RayRay Wells Jr.) with a winning time of 40.61. Neither USC sprint relay finished, as the women's quartet pulled up on the opening leg and the men dropped the baton on the first exchange.
--Cal's Kristin Smoot won the women's shot put in 46-4 ¾ (14.14m)
--Kamau Carlisle led a Cal sweep in the men's long jump by leaping 23-7 ¼ (7.19m)
--Utah's Sarah Newton won the women's 1500-meter run in 4:32.40. USC senior Julia Bounds finished sixth in 5:25.64.
--WSU's Gabriel Shouman won the men's javelin throw (197-6/60.19m), with USC junior Dylan Lange placing sixth in 153-8 (46.84m).
--Kaylee Sowle won the women's high jump at 5-8 (1.73m) to lead a 1-2-3 Washington State sweep in the event.
--WSU's Emmanuel Wells won the men's 100-meter dash in 10.38, with USC junior Daniel Robinson finishing second in 10.62.
--Cal's Josh Johnson won the men's shot put in 65-2 ¾ (19.88m). USC senior Matthew Katnik was second in 64-11 ½ (19.80m).
--Michael Magula of Long Beach State won the men's pole vault with a 15-5 (4.70m) mark. Washington State's Emily Coombs won the women's pole vault at 12-11 ½ (3.95m).
--In the women's 3000 meters, Utah's Sophie Ryan (10:03.35) edged out teammate Morgan Jensen (10:03:38) for the victory. USC sophomore Brooke Rodi was ninth in 11:05.58.
--WSU's Kendra Sachse took the women's javelin throw with a mark of 157-4 (47.96m).
--Long Beach State's Porte Joie Tshiaba won the men's high jump in a jump off over Washington State's Mitch Jacobson. Both had cleared 6-10 ¾ (2.10m) before Tshiaba went over at 7-0 ½ (2.15m) in the jump off.
On Friday (March 19), the first day of the Trojan Invitational, 4 field events were held at Long Beach State.
USC's Trey Knight, a first-year freshman who owns the national high school record in the hammer (using an implement 4 pounds lighter than what is used in college), opened his collegiate outdoor career with a victory by throwing a personal-best 219-0 (66.75m). USC redshirt freshman Christian Johnson, a transfer from Texas, was second in a personal-best 196-9 (59.98m).
Trojan senior Joy McArthur won the women's hammer with a personal-best 205-9 (62.71m) throw to move to eighth on USC's all-time hammer throw performers list, to eighth place.
USC junior Karlee Freeman threw a personal-best 186-7 (56.88m) in the hammer to finish in third place, then she won the women's discus throw with a 173-8 (52.93m) mark.
Charlie Vernoy of Long Beach State won the men's discus throw at 185-4 (56.49m).
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